Mail-box.



Patented Nov. 6, |900. W. J. WEAVER,

EMIL BOX.

(Application led my 24. 1900.)

No. @MRM 2 Shasta-Sheet I.

(No MMM.)

W/ 7'NE SSE S Patnted Nov. 6, |900. W. J. WEAVER.

No. 66mm.

MAIL BOX.

(Application led Muy 24, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Shoot 2,

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llnTTnn STnTns PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. WEAVER, OF LEETONIA, OHIO.

MAIL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,361, dated November 6, 1900.

Application filed May 24, 1900.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known That LWILLTAM J. WEAVER, a citizen of the United States, and a resideutof Leetonia, in the county of Columbiana and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Box, of which the.following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in mail or letter boxes particularly adapted for use on railroad mail routes; and one object is to provide a box of simple construction that may be opened for mail collection by a person sitting on a horse or in a vehicle; and a further object is to provide a box with a signal to indicate whether the box contains mailmatter for collection or delivery.

I will describe a mail-box embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

jReference is to be had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail-box embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof, and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The 1nail-box 10 consists of any suitable material, but preferably sheet or cast metal, and it may be made of any desired size adapting it to the location or to the amount of mailmatter it is designed to contain. The box is provided with a pitch-roof 11, which overhangs at the ends, as indicated at 12, which not only makes a good appearance, but protects an opening arranged in one end of the box from water or snow. This opening at the end of the box is designed to permit mailmatter to be placed in the box, and it is provided with a swinging cover 13. The name of the patron or subscriber may be painted on the front of the roof.

Mounted to swing on the roof of the box is a signal-plate 1l, which in one position will indicate that the box contains letters to be collected by an agent or that it contains letters to be delivered to a patron or subscriber. The plate is mounted on an arm 15, pivoted to lugs 16 on the roof, and the other end of this arm is adapted to be engaged with a springlatch 17 for holding the plate in its upright Serial No. 17,827. (No model.)

position, as indicated in. the drawings. It may be here stated that while in its upright position the plate indicates that the box contains mail-matter to be collected or delivered.

A door` 18 is mounted to swing at the front of the bvox and preferably extends from the bottom nearly to the top thereof. It is pivoted on a rod 19, supported by the end walls of the box. On the inner side of the door 18 is a tray 20 for receiving the mail, whereby when the door is swung to its open position the mail-matter will be in plain sight, so as to be readily collected.

The door 13 is held in its closed position by means of a hasp 21, which at its upper portion is pivoted to the door and has a part 22 extended through an opening in the upper portion of the door and adapted to engage against the inner side of the front wall 23 of lthe box. The lower portion of this hasp is provided with a slot through which a staple 24 on the door may pass, the said staple being adapted to receive a padlock 25.` The padlock may be secured to the box by means of a chain 25, Which is fastened at one end to said padlock and at the other end to a ring 27 on the box.

Secured to the rear side of the box are straps 28, which may be utilized for attaching the box to a post or to a tree, as the said straps may be bentaround the post or tree and nailed thereto. After removing the lock the door may be readily opened by a person .pulling outward on the lower end of the hasp 21.

While I have described this box as particularly adapted for rural districts, itis obvious that it may be found very practical for use in large towns or cities or on railroad-cars.

The tray and front door or closure are prevented from swinging too far downward by means of a chain 29, attached at one end to the door and at the other end to the interior of the box, as shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A mail-box, comprising a body, a door hinged to the box and a hasp pivoted to the door near the top and formed with an extension at the inner side ofthe door, said extension being of a length to overlap and engage IOO the inside of lnhe boX above the door when the door is closed, the body7 of the hasp having a preponderance of Weight to assume a, position at an angle to the door When the lat',- er is swung outward and thus form a handle.

2. The combination with a mail-box, of a signal-plate, an arm pivoted on the roof and with which said plate is Connected, and n spring-latch attached to the outer' side of the roof and adapted to engage with the free end ro of said arm, substantially as Specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM J. WEAVER.

Witnesses:

BESSIE DOUGHER, L. B. HARRIS. 

